Editing XMB

=Description=
The Xross Media Bar (XMB) is the graphical user interface for the PS3

The first Sony product with a XMB interface was the "Sony PSX" in 2003 (an hybrid of a PS2 + DVR player with recorder capabilityes only released in japan, see: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PSX_%28DVR%29 Wikipedia PSX]] [[http://www.psx.sony.co.jp/ PSX sony.co.jp]], later was used by the PSP, then PS3 and some Bravia TV's

The word "Xross" (actually the "X" itself) is a reference to the order of the icons aligned in rows and columns, each of this columns is a category: '''Users''', '''Settings''', '''Photo''', '''Music''', '''Video''', '''TV/Video Services''', '''Game''', '''Network''', '''PlayStation Network''', and '''Friends'''.

Installable Content (games or apps in .pkg format, and a few PS2 Discs), and contents in PS3 Discs, can be placed in some of this columns, for this purpose each column has an identifyer, see [[PARAM.SFO#CATEGORY|CATEGORY]]


The dynamic lines on the background are more condensed into a 'ribbon' rather than the PSP's large waves, unselected icons shrink slightly and every selectable background color has been made a shade darker. 
The PS3 includes the ability to store various master and secondary user profiles, manage and explore photos with Photo Gallery or an ordinary musical/non-musical slideshow, rip audio CDs, rip iTunes AAC protected files, play music and copy tracks to an attached storage device, play movies and video files from the hard disk drive, an optional USB mass storage or Flash card, or an optical disc (Blu-ray Disc or DVD-Video).

It also has compatibility for a USB or BlueTooth keyboard & mouse which can be used for navigate on the xmb or navigate to the web browser. It can be use also for homebrew such as MultiMan (since 1.11.01) or even launch a BD game. Unreal III is the rare example of this feature.

Web browser can download multiple file types but with somes restrictions set by the type of the files or web site.
The Friends menu allows email with emoticons and attached picture features and video chat which requires an optional webcam (although the PlayStation Eye and the EyeToy are official webcams, most USB webcams will work). 
The PlayStation Network menu allows online shopping through the PlayStation Store. Also, the PlayStation 3 adds the ability to multitask in ways such as listening to stored audio files while surfing the web or looking at pictures. The PlayStation 3 XMB supports a variety of file formats. The PS3 reserves 48 MB of RAM at all times for XMB functions.

=[[VSH]]=
The [[VSH|Virtual Shell (VSH]]) encapsulates the XMB interface. It is loaded at:
 /dev_flash/vsh/module/vsh.self
And has numerous modules and descriptor files. The VSH does not directly load the XMB interface, it loads support modules to do that instead. The modules directly responsible for the XMB interface include:
 /dev_flash/vsh/module/
 explore_category_friend.sprx
 explore_category_game.sprx
 explore_category_music.sprx
 explore_category_network.sprx
 explore_category_photo.sprx
 explore_category_psn.sprx
 explore_category_sysconf.sprx
 explore_category_tv.sprx
 explore_category_user.sprx
 explore_category_video.sprx
 explore_plugin.sprx
 explore_plugin_ft.sprx
 explore_plugin_game.sprx
 explore_plugin_np.sprx
Those modules are responsible for processing the XMB descriptor files (.XML format), used to generate the XMB interface. All of the above modules except for the "explore_plugin_game.sprx" and "explore_plugin_np.sprx" contain a full list and location of XMB configuration files and the "root" entry which is to be loaded for the root of the category, for each FW type CEX/SEX/DEX. Exactly which root XML entry is used depends on the FW type (CEX/SEX/DEX) of the VSH.self. It's important to note that the explore_plugin.sprx is capable of managing many of the XMB categories, and thus, not all of these modules might be in use at any one time. (The explore_plugin.sprx is actually kept available to the VSH.self and other modules through the xmb_plugin.sprx and xmb_ingame.sprx see [[XMB XML Coding#Module-Action|Module Action]])

=XMB Configuration Files=

These are .XML files which outline the logic of XMB categories. For information on the structure of the files, see [[XMB XML Coding]]. All of the XMB .XML configuration files are located in path: '''/dev_flash/vsh/resource/explore/xmb/'''

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan="3" | XMB Category !! colspan="2" | Retail XMB {{CEX}} !! colspan="2" | Debug XMB {{DEX}} {{DECR}} !! colspan="4" | Shop XMB {{Shop}}
|-
! rowspan="2" | <filename>.xml !! rowspan="2" | Root [[XMB XML Coding#Basic Structure|View id]] !! rowspan="2" | <filename>.xml !! rowspan="2" | Root [[XMB XML Coding#Basic Structure|View id]] !! colspan="2" style="background-color:#CC5555;" | Demo Mode !! colspan="2" style="background-color:#55CC55;" | Unlocked Mode
|-
! <filename>.xml !! Root [[XMB XML Coding#Basic Structure|View id]] !! <filename>.xml !! Root [[XMB XML Coding#Basic Structure|View id]]
|-
| [[XMB-Users‎|Users]] || category_user.xml || root || category_user.xml || root || category_user_shop.xml || root || category_user.xml || root
|-
| [[XMB-Settings|Settings<sup>1</sup>]] || category_sysconf.xml || root || category_sysconf.xml || root || category_sysconf_shop.xml || root || category_sysconf.xml || root
|-
| {{icontinyphoto}} [[XMB-Photo|Photo]] || category_photo.xml || root || category_photo.xml || root || category_photo.xml || shop_root || category_photo.xml || root
|-
| {{icontinymusic}} [[XMB-Music|Music]] || category_music.xml || root || category_music.xml || root_for_dex || category_music.xml || root || category_music.xml || root
|-
| {{icontinyvideo}} [[XMB-Video|Video]] || category_video.xml || root || category_video.xml || root_for_dex || category_video.xml || root || category_video.xml || root
|-
| {{icontinytv}} [[XMB-TV|TV/Video Services]] || category_tv.xml || root || category_tv.xml || root || category_tv.xml || root || category_tv.xml || root
|-
| {{icontinygame}} [[XMB-Game|Game]] || category_game.xml || root || category_game_tool2.xml || root_dex || category_game.xml || shop_guest_root || category_game.xml || root
|-
| {{icontinynetwork}} [[XMB-Network|Network]] || category_network.xml || root || category_network_tool2.xml || root || category_network_shop.xml || root || category_network_shop.xml || shop_staff_root
|-
| {{icontinypsn}} [[XMB-PSN|PlayStation Network]] || category_psn.xml || root || category_psn.xml || tool_root || category_psn.xml || shop_guest_root || category_psn.xml || shop_staff_root
|-
| [[XMB-Friends|Friends]] || category_friend.xml || root || category_friend.xml || root || category_friend_shop.xml || root || category_friend.xml || root
|-
|}

*<sup>1</sup>The VSH heavily regulates the Setting Category and the .XML file is only used by when accessing the XMB "in-game", even then it restricts what parts of the .XML are actually shown. It is not possible to modify the Settings Category to any effect by editing the .XML configuration file

*This table is not inclusive of other PS3 firmwares, but their root entries are present in all PS3 Firmwares. All PS3 Firmwares (CEX/DEX/SEX/...) contain the *same* XML configuration files for any given firmware version.

==Other XMB Configuration Files==

These are XMB Configuration Files which are used in the 'behind the scenes' of running the XMB.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Configuration File !! Directly Dependent Modules !! Module Use
|-
| category_user_login.xml || Found in all "explore_*.sprx" modules, except "explore_plugin_game.sprx" and "explore_plugin_np.sprx" || XMB Configuration File for the 'Log In' XMB Category, which only shows when no user is logged in.
|-
| category_widget.xml || - || RSS Related
|-
| download_list.xml || data_copy_plugin.sprx, download_plugin.sprx, friendim_plugin.sprx, photolist_plugin.sprx, playlist_plugin.sprx, scenefolder_plugin.sprx, sysconf_plugin.sprx, videodownloader_plugin.sprx, webbrowser_plugin.sprx, webrender_plugin.sprx || Used For the Download of Photos/Music/Video to various external and internal locations.
|-
| null.xml || Found in all "explore_*.sprx" modules || Dummy File/Testing Purposes?
|-
| playlist.xml || filecopy_plugin.sprx, playlist_plugin.sprx || Creating Playlists 
|-
| registry.xml || - || Used for the organisation of User Data which is accessible from the XMB
|-
| savedata_list.xml || ps3_savedata_plugin.sprx, ps3_savedata_plugin_game.sprx, ps3_savedata_plugin_psp.sprx || Outlines the XMB entries for creating new saves, for both PSP and PS3 games.
|-
| upload_list.xml || - || Photo/Music/Video Locations for Upload
|-
| videodownloader_list.xml || videodownloader_plugin.sprx || For downloading videos, to both 'secure' and 'not secure' locations. USB Mass Storage devices are not included in either.
|-
|}

=Sony Documentation=

http://us.playstation.com/support/manuals/ps3/index.htm

{| class="wikitable" border="0" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
|[http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/basicoperations/index.html About the XMB (XrossMediaBar) menu]
|-
|[http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/users/index.html Users Category]
|-
|[http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/settings/index.html Settings Category]
|-
|[http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/photo/index.html Photo Category]
|-
|[http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/music/index.html Music Category]
|-
|[http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/video/index.html Video Category]
|-
|[http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/tv/tvvideoservices.html TV / Video Services Category]
|-
|[http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/game/index.html Game Category]
|-
|[http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/network/index.html Network Category]
|-
|[http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/psn/index.html PlayStation Network Category]
|-
|[http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/friends/index.html Friends Category]
|}
{{Console}}